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10 Highly Effective Ways to Market like an Asshole
Posted by Justin Boland on Mar 25, 2009 | 0 Comments
With spring in the air and dozens of non-music projects behind me, Audible Hype is coming back with a vengance. Before I start dropping new content, though, I’m cleaning out the archives, starting with this blunt, useful list. (Bear in mind this was written while I was doing the Jesus On Ice Tour with Devastate in early 2008…but then again, nothing’s really changed since.)
Hustle can be a dangerous thing. All of the terms and metaphors we use for hard work have nothing to do with actually thinking about what you’re doing. Believe it or not, when you’re being stupid, no matter how many hours you put in, you’re not going to see much in the way of results. This short article is a warning: look up once in awhile. Put in work, but only when and where it actually matters. Here’s a list of What Not To Do…
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Lateral Thinking: Stop Promoting Yourself
Posted by Justin Boland on Oct 01, 2008 | 0 Comments
This article is built around a single insight. The artists I talk to who already have an online footprint and already did everything in the $0 Promotional Plan are facing a new question: What in the hell am I supposed to PUT on my website, blog, facebook and mother-effing twitter account? The nutshell answer: you use your platform to promote your fellow DIY hip hop artists. This is a fundamental win/win situation-you get more content, they get more promotion, and the world is a better place. For details and examples of Doing It Right, start here.
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Weekend Brainfood, September 20th 2008
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 20, 2008 | 0 Comments
Back when Audible Hype was running full steam-not coincidentally, also when I was living online fulltime-we had a regular series called Weekend Brainfood where I’d round up all the best articles I’d read recently, as well as sharing the personal lessons I’d been learning that week through World-Around Records. Now, I realize I got a little cynical but that’s part of the growth process, too. I stand by my mistakes…otherwise I’ve got nothing to stick up for.
I’m still a pitbull asshole in the content department-ask Kavit Haria-so I feel like I should be doing more to spotlight the people who are helping me stay informed. This is an introduction to three of them, plus a summary of my daily e-hustle website routine, and as usual, way too many resources. TOO MUCH IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN NOT ENOUGH.
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The Audible Hype $0 Music Promotion Plan
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 06, 2008 | 0 Comments
This has been a long time coming-I’m finally laying out, in great detail, how to set up a powerful online presence using nothing but completely free tools.
In the past week, I’ve had no less than 11 up-and-coming hip hop artists tell me almost the exact same thing: “I’ve got my album done, but I just don’t have the money to promote it.” While I won’t pretend you can get to the top of the Clear Channel playlist and get some MTV rotation for free (without guns)-I am saying you can get to work promoting your music effectively as soon as you finish reading this article.
Let’s get right down to it…
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Brzowski: Blazing Your Own Trail
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 02, 2008 | 0 Comments
Coming from New England, I’ve known about Brzowski for years. He’s been forging his own sound and style, pissing off purists and building a reputation for sweat-soaked, brutally honest live sets. Hip hop is easy when you’re not trying to be original-but Brzowski has a lot to teach about finding your audience when it’s not already identified and established for you. If you rap like Jeezy, promoting yourself in 2009 is a no-brainer. Brzowski has walking a weirder road, and I caught him mid-tour to conversate about booking shows, promoting yourself right, and squeezing blood from stones on the road.
Enjoy.
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Eyeris: Getting Ready for the Spotlight
Posted by Justin Boland on Sep 01, 2008 | 0 Comments
Interviewing Eyeris in May 2009 is like a photograph of an athlete in midair. She’s currently towards the beginning of a national publicity wave and she’s aiming high for 2010. This is the busiest, most rewarding and most dangerous part of a music career, so I was grateful for the chance to talk shop with her.
Here, Eyeris is sharing experience with promotion, DIY touring, and how to blow the room away at SXSW, too. DIG IT.
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Getting Ready for a Long Cold Winter
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 28, 2008 | 0 Comments
Everywhere I go, everyone I talk to, the word remains the same: “DAMN.” The US is going through a slow-motion economic collapse and hip hop is feeling the pain as much as any other industry. For underground broke rappers, the situation looks downright apocalyptic. What’s the point of making music when it’s all going to be free, right?
Well…real artists don’t ask themselves that question, first of all. Since you’re probably making hip hop because you fucking have to, the end of 2008 is going to be a long, frustrating winter. This article is about how to survive and thrive in a hostile climate. It’s also an opportunity for me to round up everything I’ve already covered here at Audible Hype. My articles are constantly over-stuffed and I randomly go off on tangents longer than most blog posts. Here’s the best of everything, plus everything I learned since I stopped, plus everything else you’ll ever need to know. Just kidding.
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The DIY Hip Hop Business Master Class
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 21, 2008 | 0 Comments
Nothing beats having a mentor. Helpful guidance and advice from experienced elders is solid gold, no matter what you’re doing in life.
Unfortunately, Audible Hype is about DIY Hip Hop, which is a cut-throat and over-saturated business where nobody particularly gives a fuck about you. Even once you’re getting things done, the people who reach out to you are acting strictly out of self-interest. This is a culture where information is valuable and connections are everything-so “sharing” is not part of the game.
Unless you’re a dumb hippie like me, that is. This is a collection of the most valuable gems I’ve assembled in the Audible Hype Forum.-business and career advice from established masters, psychotically driven hustlers, and crusty old veterans. Your kind of people, if you know what’s good for you.
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The No Bullshit Guide Hip Hop Demographics, Part One
Posted by Justin Boland on Aug 04, 2008 | 0 Comments
Back when I first started Audible Hype, I did an article about hip hop demographics. I had no idea how ambitious that topic really was, and did a half-assed job. Today I’m going to fix that mistake and do this up properly, because it’s a topic that shouldn’t be complicated.
Demographics shouldn’t be complicated. Accurate statistics should not be the exclusive property of corporate consultants. Artists should not be basing their career on second-hand bullshit ideas of “who really listens to rap.”
Basically, I made a pot of coffee, sat down in the kitchen, and banged out the most detailed, useful and honest report on the demographics of hip hop I could possibly give you. Enjoy.
